Lifting straps were originally designed to assist with the loading and unloading of shipping boats. Designed to hold large, awkwardly shaped loads they were worth their weight in gold. Today they are still extremely handy, but their uses have expanded.

In the boating world, when you hear wrap the boat will think of one of two things. If you are familiar with the shipping industry, you may picture long straps wrapped around a five-ton load swinging on board from a crane. That is the original use for them, and still the most popular.

However, if you are more common with small pleasure boats or even private fishing boats, you will most likely picture a completely different scene. Instead of a cargo load, you will picture your boat being hoisted up for cleaning, repairs, and possibly even storage.

Because of their unique wrap boats straps can support a smaller boat for months on end with no fear of slipping. Being flexible instead of rigid allows them to grip every contour of the ship so even if there is an earthquake, the ship won’t fall. It may sway with the earth’s movement, but it won’t fall out of the straps’ hold.

The weight of the load is what keeps it secure. While many lifting tools have a hard time functioning with heavier loads, lifting straps thrive on heavy loads. If they are made to hold a certain weight, the closer the load is to that weight the happier the straps are. To use them the most effectively, you will want to use the strap made for the weight of the load, not the biggest one you can find. They are a case where bigger is not always better.

Lifting straps are still worth their weight in gold. Over the centuries, the material they are made out of has changed, but the basic concept and idea behind the lifting strap has not. They are simple and effective tools that started in the boating world and are still used there on a daily basis.